In modern society the word 'disability' often conjures up very negative connotations in people's minds. 9 years ago Caroline Casey recognised that without positive change the alienation, exclusion and discrimination of people with disabilities would always continue. Nobody recognised that people with disabilities could be valuable to business. She believed that if businesses could see the value of disability, society would naturally follow. It was from this belief that Caroline founded Kanchi.

Kanchi works to engage critical business leadership in the disability business case using tools and methodology that are practical to business.

The O2 Ability Awards provided the platform to change the debate around disability in society, awarding businesses for best practice in the inclusion of people with disabilities as customers, employees and members of the community.

With funding from the Arthur Guinness Fund, Kanchi will launch the Kanchi Ability Network, a corner stone to that will be a measurement tool for business, which allows companies to simply and practically assess and track their progress in including people with disabilities at all levels of their business, as customers, employees and potential recruits.

Pieta House

"Providing a community response to a community problem"

Pieta House offers an alternative solution to people who are in crisis.

Following a personal tragedy, Joan Freeman founded Pieta House - Ireland's first centre for the prevention of self harm and suicide. They offer an alternative, therapeutic approach to suicide by providing one to one counselling.

Pieta House recognises that individuals who are in crisis and are reacting to a life event need specialist care to help recover. Often because there was 'nothing else', these people have been treated with the medical model which of course involves medication and in many cases hospitalisation. When someone is not coping with a life event, they need to learn how to cope with whatever difficulty is facing them through the help of qualified staff that will offer them a 'Solution Focused Approach' and who will walk with them on the trying journey and show them on the way, all the reasons for living rather than dying.

With funding from the Arthur Guinness Fund, Joan aims to open an additional centre in the Cork - Kerry region, as well as rolling out a campaign entitled "Mind your Buddy" to help people recognise the symptoms of depression in friends and family members.

Rediscover Fashion

"Giving new life to clothes and protecting the environment"

Despite being a relatively easy waste stream to recycle, an estimated 93% of all textile waste in Ireland is sent to landfill, producing detrimental environmental effects. Textiles present particular problems in landfill as synthetic, man-made fibres, products will not decompose. While woollen garments do decompose, they produce methane, which contributes to global warming.

Carrie Ann Moran and Sarah Miller established Rediscover Fashion to address growing national concerns within the fashion and textiles industry, relating to the environmental and social impacts of disposable clothing. As well as having a positive impact on the environment, this project also has social and economic benefits. As the project will generate a steady revenue stream from the sale of a 100% recycled and ethical clothing line, Carrie Ann and Sarah will be able to provide training and employment. Being a not for profit project, all revenue gained will be reinvested in training, materials and job creation. The project aims to change the way we, as a society, view recycled clothing, behave as consumers and manage textile waste.

Speedpak Workplace Accreditation Model (WAM)

"Speedpak's work experience and training model rebuilds unemployed people's confidence and self esteem and promotes the behaviours and skills required in the modern workplace"

Gaining qualifications through the workplace.

Lack of formal education is a key barrier to progression to the workplace for those who are long term unemployed. Leaving school without a Leaving Cert has serious implications for employability, self confidence and self esteem. Speedpak's training programme provides real commercial work experience focusing on positive work behaviours; accredited group and individual training courses; and specialist one to one support.

After seven years of working for Speedpak, a social enterprise which provides employment and training for long term unemployed people, John P. Murphy, supported by his management team, has developed a model of workplace accreditation where staff receive a qualification that is the equivalent of the Leaving Cert through working in the organisation. The WAM approach is centred on capturing current workplace learning which can be converted to a recognised educational qualification in the form of a full FETAC Award.

Having developed and piloted this model locally in Speedpak in collaboration with a local VEC college, Colaiste Dhulaigh, John is now ready to bring this idea nationwide.

With funding from the Arthur Guinness Fund, John aims to drive the development of this model throughout Ireland and aims to have the programme running in 50 organisations by 2012.

Suas Service Learning Programme

"Suas cannot change the world alone, so we invest in the generation that will"

Recognising the issues that face our nation as we enter the 21st century, including environmental, social and economic challenges, Colman Farrell has identified the need for an emerging generation in which all play their part as creators, innovators, leaders and active citizens across all sectors: team players who can work across disciplines, backgrounds and cultures, individuals who are open to change, who have a social conscience to others, near and far, now and in the future.

Colman has a vision to encourage a generation to become active citizens and leaders and to establish a world-class service-learning programme integrated into Third Level Education in Ireland for young Irish people.

With funding from the Arthur Guinness Fund, Colman aims to expand the Service-Learning Programme by mainstreaming it into colleges all over Ireland.

ARTHUR GUINNESS FUND AWARDEES 2010

In modern society the word 'disability' often conjures up very negative connotations in people's minds. 9 years ago Caroline Casey recognised that without positive change the alienation,
exclusion and discrimination of people with disabilities would always continue. Nobody recognised that people with disabilities could be valuable to business. She believed that if businesses could see the value of disability,
society would naturally follow. It was from this belief that Caroline founded Kanchi.

PIETA HOUSE

Pieta House offers an alternative solution to people who are in crisis.

Following a personal tragedy, Joan Freeman founded Pieta House - Ireland's first centre for the prevention of self harm and suicide. They offer an alternative, therapeutic approach to suicide by
providing one to one counselling.

REDISCOVER FASHION

Despite being a relatively easy waste stream to recycle, an estimated 93% of all textile waste in Ireland is sent to landfill, producing detrimental environmental effects. Textiles present particular problems in landfill as synthetic,
man-made fibres, products will not decompose. While woollen garments do decompose, they produce methane, which contributes to global warming.

SPEEDPAK Workplace Accreditation Model (WAM)

Gaining qualifications through the workplace.

Lack of formal education is a key barrier to progression to the workplace for those who are long term unemployed. Leaving school without a Leaving Cert has serious implications for employability,
self confidence and self esteem. Speedpak's training programme provides real commercial work experience focusing on positive work behaviours; accredited group and individual training courses;
and specialist one to one support.

Suas Service Learning Programme

Recognising the issues that face our nation as we enter the 21st century, including environmental, social and economic challenges, Colman Farrell has identified the need for an emerging generation
in which all play their part as creators, innovators, leaders and active citizens across all sectors: team players who can work across disciplines, backgrounds and cultures, individuals who are open to change,
who have a social conscience to others, near and far, now and in the future.